US President Donald Trump said he had spoken to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone to discuss the end of the war in Ukraine, according to the New York Post.

In an interview with Air Force One on Friday, Trump said “better not to say” when asked how many times the two leaders have spoken.

Trump told the New York Post that Putin “wants to see people stop dying”.

As CNN notes, it is not clear when the two presidents spoke or if the communication took place after Trump took over his duties in January, and how many times. CNN contacted the National Security Council for clarification. In the meantime, neither the Kremlin nor the White House has responded to Reuters’ request to comment on the publication.

It is noted that at the end of January, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin was ready to have a telephone conversation with Trump and Moscow is waiting for a message from Washington that she is ready.

On Friday, Trump said he would probably meet Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski next week to discuss the end of the war.

The war, which began with Russia’s full -scale invasion of Ukraine, will complete the third anniversary on February 24. Thousands of people, in their vast majority of Ukrainians, have been killed during the war.

Trump told the New York Post that “he always had a good relationship with Putin” and that he had a specific plan to end the war. But he did not reveal further details.

“I hope it is fast,” Trump said. “People die every day. This war is so ugly in Ukraine. I want this cursed thing to end. “

“They want a meeting. Every day people die. Young beautiful soldiers are killed. Young men, like my sons. On both sides. Throughout the battlefield, “Trump noted.

It is recalled that earlier this week, Trump said he wanted to secure access to Ukraine’s rare lands in exchange for the continuation of US aid to the country. “We seek to make an agreement with Ukraine, where they will ensure what we provide with their rare earths and other things,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, complaining that Europe did not provide Ukraine the same level of help with the US.

This proposal highlights Trump’s intentions for the war in Ukraine. He has long complained about the weight of the US on Kiev equipment, but has not described in detail his plans to stop or continue support since he has taken on his duties.

The Kremlin told CNN earlier this week that there have been no serious discussions about a possible meeting between Trump and Putin. “There has been no initial contact to discuss whether or not to meet or not, when and how and how,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told CNN.

In the midst of growing expectations for a meeting between the two leaders, a senior Russian MP told state media that “advanced” preparations for a meeting are ongoing, possibly already this month.